Xoutpost.com - View Single Post - what is this? what up with my oil filler cap??

StephenVA · #6 03-10-2014, 09:10 AM

You live in SC and this past winter has been C O L D even down by the coast. Short drives where the oil temperature never has the chance to heat up to the point of vaporizing the moisture that occurs when an engine is cooled down after driving.

Over time (how long? - who the hell knows) this crud will build up in the vent system (CCV) of your engine's cam cover (valve cover)/oil system and create either a LARGE oil spill when the pressures exceed the covers ability to hold it it, or cause catastrophic failure of your engine. To understand more, just review any of the more than 10 threads posted from our friends up north on their experiences in the winter of discontent.

Solutions:
Change your oil & filter more frequently. Most on this board change at 5-7500 miles or every year regardless of mileage. There are a few on this board who travel long distances and rack up high mileage in a short period who run the recommended oil change intervals with no issues. Most of us do NOT drive anything close to ideal. Most of us drive what in automotive terms is called severe. “Automobile manufacturers have begun to include additional factors in determining how often oil changes should be performed. Things such as how much time is spent idling, the RPM (revolutions per minute) of the engine and the oil temperature history have led to considerable increases in the number of miles between recommended oil changes”, quotes one of the many articles up on the internet suggesting longer is better.
In your case, your car needs more oil changes and a good long trip each week up the highway. Welcome to the real world of variable challenges of ownership where one size (one solution) does not fit everyone.

Change the oil and have a sample test done by Blackstone labs so you will know YOUR oil change cycles.
http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ “Oil analysis is a quick, nondestructive way to gauge the health of an engine by looking at what's in the oil. People use oil analysis for different reasons: to see if there are any problems developing, to see if their oil is working well in the engine, and to see if they can run longer oil changes. Get started with your analysis by ordering a free test kit.”
In the meantime: Say the word "ROADTRIP", you and your X5 need a break from the ordinary.

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